Design & Technology – Make
Year 3 have been busy this morning making their model go karts using Tech Card and electric circuits. They have taken what they have learned from the design phase to problem solve and make the models move independently.
Online vs Offline – a healthy balance
As part of our health week, Year 3 have been learning about time spent online and spotting the signs of too much screen time. It’s important to have a happy and healthy balance of online and offline activity, so we began by adding some positives of both into a scale. Our aim was to keep the scale balanced, representing a healthy balance of online vs offline. Here are some examples from both sides of the scale.
I enjoy connecting with my family online.
I enjoy playing my games online with friends.
I like learning synonyms of words using Google.
I enjoy going outside and playing with friends.
I enjoy my gymnastics in the garden.
I really like making dens outside.
We then learnt about spotting the signs of too much screen time and what to do about them. These signs can show in various ways, such as physical aches in our bodies, to devices running out of battery due to being used too much in one sitting.
Finally, we created a poster to take home as a reminder to keep a happy and healthy balance of online and offline activity.
Help at home:
Help your child find a healthy balance between the two. Being online can be really healthy for us to learn new things, but we don’t want children being lost in the internet. Maybe set up some online vs offline routines at home.
KS2 production
Rehearsals are well underway for the KS2 production. The stage is up (thank you Mr Atkins!) and the children are working hard to add the finishing touches before our performances next week.
The children have worked so hard to learn lines, get the songs pitch-perfect and to create costumes and props. We can’t wait for you to see it!
If you haven’t yet told us if you would like your child to stay in school between the end of the school day and the performance on Wednesday evening please let us know as soon as possible.
Rocksteady Music School!
St James had a very exciting visit from Rocksteady Music School this morning. The key focus of the visit was to engage pupils in music, to learn about various instruments and how to play them. We started the morning with a whole school assembly, where the children learnt all about what it takes to be in a band – we also got to sing along to some of the latest hits! Then, KS1 and KS2 had separate workshops where a pupil band was put together in just 30 minutes! There was lots of resilience, teamwork and happiness shared all morning, particularly when learning to keep a consistent tempo!
We are aiming to introduce more musical connections at St James next year. Rocksteady have given us confirmation that children would really benefit from this. There will be a letter sent home later in the week with more information on musical opportunities in September.
Cricket! We love it!
Year 3 have been learning lots of techniques and tactics in cricket this half-term. From initially learning how to hold the bat properly, to slogging it half way across the field, the children have really enjoyed the PE sessions and have made brilliant progress.
We are still always using our fundamental movement skills across activities. Cricket requires the following basic skills that are interchangeable across sports:
- throw
- catch
- run
- strike
Here are some photos of the children in action!
Class Novel
Year 3 are determined to finish our last class novel of the year by a well-loved classroom author, Onjali Rauf. Here’s the book, protected always by our loved Latin mouse – Minimus!
The Letter with the Golden Stamp puts us in the shoes of Audrey – a young girl with a lot to carry on her shoulders. Her mum is ill and it’s Audrey’s job to take care of her, and her two siblings, whilst keeping it all a big secret. But that’s not all. There’s a suspicious house across the street that might be spying on Audrey and her family.
At the moment in our novel, Audrey is trying to communicate with the stranger across the street. She’s received a scruffy note asking Audrey and friends to wash the dirty car outside the house for £2! Audrey is also busy trying to make sure her family have enough to eat, and shop keeper Mrs Davies and Mo the postman are helping her out.
Help at home:
Audrey is currently doing something that is wrong (shoplifting), but she’s doing it for a caring reason. Talk to your child about whether her choice is ever ok, even in Audrey’s circumstances. Could Audrey go about her problems in another way? Who could she ask for help? Who could we ask for help in and out of school if we need it?
RE Drop Down – Buddhism
This morning, Year 3 were learning all about Buddhism. We began by looking at all religions and we created a timeline for their times of origin. The children really impressed me with their memory skills and presentation in books.
Next, we focussed primarily on Buddhism and looked into the founder, the place of origin and number of world and UK followers. Here’s what we found:
- The founder of Buddhism was a man named Siddartha Gautama (Buddha).
- Buddhism originated in India.
- Number of worldwide followers: over 520 million – it is the fourth-largest world religion.
- Number of UK followers: Roughly 290,000 (as of 2021 UK census).
Finally, we looked into the life of Buddha and how he achieved enlightenment. Siddartha Gautama was a prince that lived a life of luxury. When he saw other people suffering, he decided to leave his palace and life among holy men in search for truth. His search took him six years, but he became enlightened by meditating under a fig tree. From then on, he was respected as a role model and teacher – his teachings spread far and wide, particularly across Asia.
Help at home:
Buddhism is a way of life that teaches people to be kind, calm, and wise so they can be happy and help others be happy too. Talk to your child about their learning on this and how this links to our school vision (St James is a happy and healthy place to achieve and believe). Do we share some of the same values as Buddhists?
Spooky Settings!
In writing, Year 3 are tasked with a spooky setting description. The purpose of this is to use skills, such as expanded noun phrases and rich vocabulary, for descriptive purposes. So far this week, we (the reader) have put ourselves in the shoes of an illustrator. To begin, our canvas is blank. When reading a good example of a setting description, our canvas begins to fill with everything the writer wants us to see, hear, feel, touch, smell and so on. By the end of the paragraph, we have a full idea of what the setting would be like.
Next, we had a go at writing a short class setting based on the picture below. Here’s the fantastic piece the children came up with!
In the middle of nowhere, an eerie, abandoned house stood silently like a solitary statue. The grass seemed to have a blanket of ash resting on top. Cautiously stepping closer, I heard creaky floorboards. An army of goosebumps invaded my arms.
Help at home:
Explore your child’s current reading book with them and pick out some rich vocabulary that may suit a spooky setting description! We will share these ideas in our lessons and add them to our word wall.
Brownlee Triathlon!
This week, KS2 took part in the Brownlee Foundation Triathlon event! All of the children represented St James well and completed the whole course with huge smiles on their faces! The children had to swim, cycle and run their way to the finish line, working together and spurring each other on. We even got to meet Jonny Brownlee, who very kindly took a photo with our school! Thanks to all parents and adults who helped organise the event. Here are some fantastic photos from our day:
Living and Learning: I know the importance of 5 a day
For our living and learning session this week, Year 3 looked into the importance of healthy eating. We discussed as a class how many fruit/veg a day we are currently managing to eat, and set ourselves some goals to further improve.
We also looked into influences and healthy choices when deciding what to eat and drink. Year 3 discussed the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and used their learning about different foods groups from earlier this year to help.
After the session the children felt confident talking about the following statements:
Help at home:
Discuss these statements in more detail at home so your child understands the importance of healthy choices when eating and drinking.